bostonk

Hmmm... or Argghhh... should really be the heading! $340: I have the servomotor clacking sound behind the dash, they want $340 to replace the servomotor. I said, People on the Lexus forum say they've just cleaned it out successfully.... he said, no, definitely you have to replace the whole thing. Whatever... if it's not going to crash my car I'll live with it. (I WISH I were handy, I would do it myself based on the instructions in the forum... but I can barely put together that put-it-together yourself furniture!) $921: At 67,000 miles I have a tiny whine. He says, replace the timing belt or the car will stall and do the water pump too while you're at it. Any reason I should listen to him on the timing belt part of it? I'm thinking, if I need to have the work done I'm going to do it at my local Toyota dealer unless you guys tell me differently... since they're quoting $540. $161 + $130 Power steering and alternator belts (which my Toyota dealer will include as part of the $540 timing belt replacement). So... apart from this being highway robbery, at what point do I "have" to replace the timing belt, and can I just have Toyota do it instead of paying an extra $600 for a loaner car and a nice cup'o'joe? You guys are the best!

Hi all- Thanks so much for being such a great resource! I have a 2002 RX300, 64000 miles, bought last year used. When I brought it to the dealer for the 60,000 mile service (and complete transmission fluid flush based on your advice) in March, they recommended the following: -PCV valve replacement -Alternator belt replacement -Power steering belt replacement - A/C filter change BTW, This dealer (in MA) makes me a little suspicious since they tried to bill me more for the 60K service than they had quoted upfront. Kinda makes the rest of what they're doing come under question. So, I brought the car to my local Toyota dealer (Woburn Toyota, they're awesome) for just the A/C filter change... and they brought it out to me, pretty much clean as a whistle and DIDN'T CHARGE for the service time in pulling it out to show me I didn't need A/C filter service. Here's my question- I saw the post about cleaning out the servo motor. Does it require a part or just labor? Is it the cabin filter I need to be worried about or some other reason we'd hear clacking? I hate to trust the Lexus dealer's opinion but I need to bring my car in for an oil change and wanted to control what they're charging me for. Also, at that Woburn Toyota place they gave me a brochure that said: - Ventilation and Compressor A/C service: Condensation in your vehicle's AC system promotes mold and bacterial growth that accumulates in the evaporator and is blown into the passenger compartment. Add to this smell the sound of an A/C compressor making a clacking noise due to a depletion of oil. Solution: Clean out the AC lines, evaporator and ventilator and then kill any mold or bacteria. Then deodorize the entire AC system. Finally, our technicians will measure and replenish the oil in the compressor, and your AC will be cleaner and operate 4 to 5 degrees cooler due to increased efficiency. ($69) Could this be what's going on?

I would just like to say, you all are fantastic. Can I count the ways? 1) I just bought a 2002 RX300 AWD, and after extensive research on this site I knew to ask about transmission service and oil change history- and ended up getting a car that was Lexus serviced (PRICEY!!) every 5000 miles, including the big ones. (Based on the detailed info here, I stayed away from several questionable cars.) 2) The car needed a few things including new tires and it had the Navigation "Disc not Detected" error. I bought the car from a great dealer, who fixed everything before I bought it, and even allowed me to choose what new tires I wanted him to put on for me... so where did I turn? That's right, the forum. (I wanted the Bridgestone Alenza's or the TripleTred Fortera, but they were both backordered around here so I went with the Yokohamas.) Also, based on info here about the disc error, we ended up switching a Nav drive from a 2001 RX300 into my car, and it works like a charm. (Although it's an older disc and I'd like to upgrade... so based on the posts I've seen I think I'll wait until Feb. when the new upgrade discs are out, and buy from the Lexus Parts website.) 3) Then, my husband decided our "new" car needed to be washed and forgot to lower the antenna... so I just looked around here to find out whether or not I felt like changing it myself and to see how much it would cost. Overall, I love the car. I wish it got better gas mileage- I'm in Boston and I get about 19.5 MPG, which is expected- but one thing that occurs to me now, is that I hadn't realized how hilly this area is- so I'm frequently at 7-8 mpg in city driving just going up local hills. I wish I was back in Chicago where it's a straightaway and I wouldn't put so much constant use on the engine! I may try an experiment using two or three tanks of 93 to see if it makes a difference, based on that thread from different drivers. I've definitely changed the way I drive (decelerate much sooner than normal, etc.) in order to use less gas. No response required, just that I know a lot of you like to post to help other people, and for all of us who benefit from your willingness to share information and support- thank you, thank you, thank you!